During surgical procedures in the upper respiratory tract, it may be necessary to insert an artificial breathing opening (tracheostoma) into the trachea, so that by means of a bypassing of the oral cavity and voice box, air can be directly breathed into the lungs. Generally filter systems are used for laryngectomized and tracheotomized persons, which consists of a plaster with an inserted filter, a usually self-adhesive baseplate or a tracheal cannily—which is generally made of a plastic material-, into which filters of various kinds can be inserted. Filter systems, which are used for laryngo-tracheal aids such as tracheal cannulas and plasters- or baseplates, include the so-called humidity and heat exchangers, which are also called artificial noses. The purpose of these is to reproduce the missing regulation mechanisms for warming and moisturizing the breath for tracheotomized, but also for laryngectomized patients and to prevent a direct contact of the trachea with dry, cold and unfiltered air. The irritation that is caused hereby leads to an increased mucus production with the associated danger of incrusting. By means of humidity and heat exchangers, the breathed-in air is being moisturized, warmed and filtered at the same time. In this way the before-mentioned extended incrusting is prevented to a large extend. A regular wearing of the artificial nose helps particularly when there is an intense discharge of secretion, since the moisturizing of the mucous membranes in the trachea reduces the production of secretions. Humidity and heat exchangers can further be equipped with a speaking function and they are then referred to as speaking valves, as in the case of the present invention, whereas other terms such as e.g. vocal valves are also customary.
Generic speaking valves are widely known from the prior art. Likewise, DE 699 20 440 T2 presents a generic device, which is referred to as a vocal valve with filter, whereby the vocal valve serves as a connection with a tracheostoma, and it features a regenerative filter for humidity and heat exchange during breathing by means of the vocal valve, as well as a housing, which holds the filter, and a first opening on one side of the filter in order to connect to the tracheostoma as well as at least one second opening on an opposite side of the filter, which is connected to the environment, and a manually operable valve element in order to block the airflow through the filter, whereby a tube reaches into the inner of the housing and forms a valve seat which defines the first opening, in order to accomplish a sealed connection with the valve element by means of a manual actuation of it. The vocal valve which is presented there is fairly complex in its construction and uses a spring as resetting mechanism or a deformable cover element as valve element.